Thread: nightstand 2 progress if interested

Originally Posted by jow104

..............Went in for lunch and the afternoon siesta................
By the way this all took place whilst you Aussies down there were sleeping in your beds

Yes but what about you having a siesta.
Keep posting your projects make interesting reading.


Peter.

Very interesting reading and the pictures are extremely good.

I assume "PAR", is Planed And Ready?

I will be interested to see either the ongoing pictures or the final result.

Mick.

Yes Mick, something very similar = Planed all round.

DAY 2 NIGHTSTAND PROJECT



Put on the passion killers again this morning

because it’s gone chilly again, even the butter

wouldn't spread today at breakfast.

Dino our toy poodle (with redeye)is getting worried as I change to go out to the workshop at 11 am.



First picture of timber shews legs numbered and marked up with the correct orientation so that best sides of timber face outwards. These legs are then all cut to the same size using the crosscut saw and my homemade cutting table which comes off the bench when not in use. The table has fixing points to the bench in which I drop dowels to keep alignment.



The next hour is spent marking up mortice positions on the legs (and making corrections) I use my own square for setting out squared lines, its a piece of hardboard which I have proved to be square and has a good length to place on the straight side of the timber. When this tool needs replacing the bank balance is unaffected.

In addition I ensure that the legs are square to each other by putting a cheap squaring tool (black square in picture)against the ends so that lines across the timbers are set true.



It's now lunchtime (not my duty day for cooking) stuffed marrow, first this year. Then I have my usual siesta (only 10 minutes today I’m keen to finish the mortices today. Shopping tomorrow so not much can be done.



So set up my mortice jig, two pieces of mdf and a length of 3x2 (which goes in the vice) and completed the large rail mortices with only one interuption (the travel agent trying to sell me some high priced tickets to Australia) I had to remove the Triton respirator, found it difficult using the telephone with it on. The travel agent was suggesting a stop over at Hong Kong airport Christmas eve. I don't think so!



Photographs below in two sections (next thread) I assume they go over the alloted allocation.



Finally, November weather photographs for those with autumn memories of the U.K. no blue sky, just grey, cheerless, and cool at 4pm Tuesday, then frost at 7 am Weds, and sunrise shortly thereafter.

Balance of the pictures for day 2.

I'm looking forward to the next instalment, after a lay day for shopping, that is!

As I'm getting back into wood working from a long layoff, I find this stimulating and it's given me an idea or two for the small table I have to build for SWMBO.

Mick.

Day 3..





I intend to make the tenons for all of the larger rails (sides & back) and I have put up my mitre saw table.

There are three pictures showing how I have made a register so that my table always returns to its original setup. The first pic. has a keyed dowel which marries with a hole made in bench top.(left hand end) the second pic. shows three brass pins permanently fixed to the side of my saw, the third photo shows the table has now been dropped on and should always marry up as previous alignments, when left hand keyed dowel is pushed home.

The rails are now all cut to there determined size by placing a stop on the back rail of my table, this ensures that each piece cut must finish equal length.



The next step I took was to mark a shoulder line for the tenon and I am getting fussier, (never spelt that word before, is it OK) I use a dial calliper set to 25mm and make a cut point on the timber for the shoulder line. Then get down my high tech square (hardboard) place the long side to the timber and draw my knife across, use and engineers square for the narrow edge and again the hardboard square for the final line and voila! all lines meet so must be OK.

I only mark the tenon up for one rail because I have a stop set up on my saw table when cutting tenons, therefore all tenons will finish up the same size (hopefully).



I next set up my Triton workcentre with my own crosscut sled (three pics attached) check that my blade is at the correct height with some scrap timber and if happy place the first shoulder line to the cutting edge of the sled and then put a stop at the far end of the rail to ensure all shoulders must finish equally.

When shoulder have been cut (see pic again) I go back to the sled remove the stop and chew off the tenon cheeks just like George used to do.(but with a waste piece at the rear end to stop any tear out) How is George these days? I miss his smiling face on my video. Has he changed over to metal working? Final picture today shows cheeks awaiting clean up from chisel.

Hope to publish more progress again tomorrow.

Two more threads added to show all pictures

see pics

Tenons cut as pics

I take it the left hand positioning dowel, locks the mitre saw table with the back of the bench?

Quite a good system, simple as well.

Looks like you're in for another day of pleasure.

Mick.

Yes, that's correect Mick, and the dowel is also keyed to make it easier. Also when storing table away the dowel comes in handy again to lock to its storage position on a side wall.

DAY 4



Started the morning by having a look at the picture gallery at this Ubeat site and posted the day 3 progress. Went and had a look at the large cabinet put up by Different/Ross and noted that the cabinet has similar features to my own project. It has two cupboards (equal to two nightstands) the frontage which is almost identical. Although in addition to mine are the double glass cabinets above. Best regards to Different I appreciate his furniture is at least 4 times larger than my piece.



Out in my workshop I had to put on the fan heater because of the damp/cool November feel to the atmosphere. This was perhaps a mistake because it stirred up the dust and I couldn't stop sneezing for a few minutes.



First task, I numbered the rails and there best finished positions for fitting to legs. The tenons were then cleaned up with a really nice sharp chisel, haunches were cut with a junior hacksaw and finally tenon rounder over with a really old rasp.



I would like to digress re this rasp, it originally belonged to my father in law whom worked for Imperial Airways ,Croydon aerodrome London as a coach builder. I would not think there are any Australians now alive who would have flewn with this old airline, it was I believe the airline that routed to Australia before the last war. I honestly think that this tool was most probably used by Pop on aircraft that flew in to Sydney in the 1930s. Unfortunately Imperial Airways did not survive as a business and Pop eventually transferred his labours to coach building on the London buses until he retired in 1957. Sadly I gave away his old wooden planes having myself the more modern iron models. It would be nice to have kept them now that my own interests have returned to woodwork.



The junior hacksaw is used for cutting down the grain because I find that it does not wander so providing a more accurate cut to tenons.

The first tenon is now fitted as per photograph below together with pictures of the earlier actions.



Day 4 will continue as another thread so that pictures stay with work actions. (pics 1, 4 & 5)

DAY 4 (2nd page)



The first tenon was a nice fit and I boast that it does not really need any glue, and at the end of 30 minutes working I fit the four rails, two to each side.



Lunch time and it’s my turn for cooking today, then another afternoon nap.



When I restart, I finish off the rails for the back of cabinet. All the rails then need a 45 degree angle on ends of tenons where they meet adjoining joints. I'm machine minded these days so I do it on the bandsaw and clean off with the chisel which is still very sharp.

The chisels that you see in one of the photographs are all stored in folders and these chisels are all 45 years old barring the one with the plastic handle. The first 4 chisels together with the brown wallet holder were presented to me when leaving an employer by the lads in the office (I was the lad) and they are all going strong. The black coloured wallet is really a watercolour brush holder but is very suitable for the smaller dimension tools. ( I spotted it cheap in one of those bazaar shops (like you also have in Aus.) around $4.



The large side and back rails are all now fitted as you can see, and then I tackle the front rails, which I shall be doing by hand.



The top front rail in the plans shews a stub tenon joint but I think a stub dovetail would be a better choice. However has the mortice has already been cut I am concerned about cutting the joint on the next side of the leg so I pack out the mortice with a waste piece of timber to afford some protection against splitting the timber. (as pictured) Top rail fits well and I cease production for the day, the sky looks like it could snow (but it won't) and things are quite dreary, not like Australia in November?



Pics 15,13,10 &20

For timber at the price you paid, which was zilch, I think you are doing extremely well, in fact better than well, you are doing excellent!

At the moment I'm fiddling with some pine which is construction grade and with reasonably minimal waste, I'm getting the timber required for my next project, which is a small table.

Your bandsaw would come in very handy for splitting timber without the large blade I have on my Triton mounted saw. After all a few mm saved here and there, soon adds up, especially after planing.

Mick.